‘Days of the Awakening Councils are Numbered’: From Iraq’s Azzaman

Now that Iraq’s Sunni ‘Awakening Councils’ appear to have vanquished al-Qaeda in Iraq, is the United States prepared to ‘throw them under the bus’ as it were, in order to obtain a much-desired long-term security agreement with the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad?

“There are sure signs that the “Awakening” project will be abandoned and its participants left to an unknown fate. After all the animosity that has occurred, these people can’t return to pre-Awakening days, nor will they be able to become effective political players, particularly because unlike the militias that work and operate in and around the government, they have no foreign support. They are the subjects of a deal being made to satisfy those in power. ”

By Fateh Abdulsalam

Translated By Jenny Oliver and Nicolas Dagher

August 26, 2008

Iraq – Azzaman – Original Article (Arabic)

The security agreement between the Iraqi government and the American administration is moving toward completion. The experts have succeeded in creating a draft version of the agreement and it now awaits ratification. Sooner or later, since the two sides are united in their desire to complete the deal, this formality will be accomplished. The agreement on the horizon benefits the forces that ignited the sectarian war in Iraq, in exchange for putting an end to patriotic maneuvering [the abuse of patriotism for political gain]. If there isn’t a deal, there will be an inevitable change in the way the Americans deal with Iraqi internal affairs.

The question that urgently requires an answer is this: What prevents a deal that appears to be advantageous for achieving the objectives of both sides [Iraqis and Americans]? There are sure signs that the “Awakening” project will be abandoned and its participants left to an unknown fate. After all the animosity that has occurred, these people can’t return to pre-Awakening days, nor will they be able to become effective political players, particularly because unlike the militias that work and operate in and around the government, they have no foreign support. They are the subjects of a deal being made to satisfy those in power.